


I get a kick out of you

by lightshinesthru



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Gen, Jealousy, Mild Language, Philandering (referenced)...because Kirk is a total man whore, Probably missed some, Seriously that woman rocks, Uhura is amazing, kirk and spock are in lllluuuurrrrvveee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-13 23:04:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2168640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightshinesthru/pseuds/lightshinesthru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small case study of my take on everyone forgetting Bones. Seriously, he keeps disappearing in the movies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to comment. It's my first fic. I always assumed my first would be Supernatural since I love my SPN fanfic but weirdly this just happened. So I went with it and I hope it isn't awful. I wrote this on my phone so forgive any typos and con-crit is always welcome.

Kirk treats his friends the same way he treats his women, as something to be used and discarded. Or put aside when a new one becomes available. There are probably numerous psychological theories behind this behavior, not that James Tiberius Kirk ever put much stock in psychology. Leonard McCoy on the other hand, he knew a few things about psychology in general, and Kirk in particular. There was a reason he and Jim had been friends for so long, certainly no one else had been close to him for that length of time. Probably because Kirk was a walking testament to personal and family dysfunction. Which made sense if you knew anything about Jim, and these days a lot of people knew about Kirk. Bones knew how to keep Jim in line, but also knew how to keep him entertained. When Spock showed up Bones knew he was dangerous. Not dangerous to Jim physically, but to Bones's relationship with the man. Okay, Leonard 'Bones' McCoy might have been slightly jealous of the near instant chemistry between the two. If anyone else saw Jim's reaction they would read dislike or hatred, but Bones knew Kirk so much better than anyone else. That spark that looked like hatred was fascination and interest. And it almost killed him when Kirk and Spock became the heroes of the Federation. He always knew Jim had potential and he enjoyed supporting and ribbing the kid in equal measures, but he definitely got sidelined after Spock came into the picture. It made sense on a basic level. They were on the bridge together almost all the time. Spock was second in command so their paths not only crossed but intertwined in thousands of tiny ways every day. He hadn't been lying when he said he liked Spock. He also couldn't stand him most of the time. He was the antithesis of Bones's understanding of the world. Bones could be calculating and analytical, he was physician dammit, but Spock took analytical to a new level. Bones could admit Jim was good for Spock. Hell the green blooded bastard beat the shit out of a genetically engineered superhuman on his crazy revenge kick when he thought Kirk was dead. Which was a sore point too. Bones does the actual work to save his best friend and everyone is kissing Spock's ass like he's God's gift to the Federation. Okay, he sounds like a bitchy preteen girl but he's frustrated. He took another shot and his thoughts turn to their new 5 year deep space mission. There really isn't much he wouldn't do for Jim, including deep space travel for 5 freaking years. It's too bad, or maybe just as well, that Jim doesn't have a clue how he feels.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I intended the story to be a one off from Bones's POV, but a few months later I wrote this and I've been debating posting the thing. In for a penny on for a pound I suppose. Initially it was unrelated but at the end of the story Leonard just popped in and demanded to be there. Who am I to say no to handsome curmudgeonly physician? One that has a beautiful mouth and truly awful bedside manner. 
> 
> Also I don't own it. All mistakes are mine, please feel free to comment or critique.

Uhura knew Jim Kirk was trouble before she knew his name. It wasn't the flirting, he was a handsome drunk guy at a bar, it happened to her pretty regularly. Still, Uhura knew what bad boys looked like, she'd dated her fair share, and slept with more than her fair share. So she could read Kirk in that regard. But she knew he was trouble when he correctly explained Xenolinguistics. James Kirk, wasn't just a pretty face, he was wasted intelligence. That irritated her more than anything else about him. The potential, that would likely never be utilized. It offended her on a fundamental level. The ensuing fight pissed her off even more, especially because the other cadets used her as an excuse to beat the snot out of a drunk 'townie' as one had called Kirk. Then Captain Pike came in and finally stopped them before Kirk ended up in a hospital. The cocky little shit had the nerve to show up the next day on the academy flight. Over the next three years she heard more and more about his antics, in and out of the bedroom. Apparently he really got around. Thankfully there were great advances in medical care. She heard his best friend and roommate was a doctor, so he must have access to medication for all the STIs he came in contact with.

 

But then she forgot about Kirk, the womanizer and manizer? He was equal opportunity from what she heard. Not that Uhura gossiped, but Kirk was a popular guy in his own right, and famous because of his father. Only a few people knew about Tarsus. And one of them mentioned it to Uhura. It actually made her almost pity him. That wasn't an experience she would wish on her worst enemy. But she forgot about Kirk for the most part when she met Spock. He was...not perfect, but so different from any other person she dated. It wasn't just the logic, which could be intensely annoying, it was the way he carried himself and handled everything life threw at him with calm acceptance. Spock was steady, incredibly intelligent, and more interested in her mind than her body. Though he certainly appreciated her physically. With Spock, Uhura did something she had never done before, she pursued him. It might sound a bit vain, but Uhura knew she was attractive and she worked hard to maintain her physical fitness. She also knew she was inherently attractive to many men, but Spock was not just any man. He was reserved, and pursuing him was quite an interesting experience for the cadet. And not just because he was her professor, but because pursuing a man was a new experience, and Uhura enjoyed new experiences. If not, she would never have joined Starfleet.

 

So after months of pursuit and when she finished his class, Spock agreed to a date. They went to special tea parlor in San Francisco that was popular with Vulcans and Terrans. It was quiet and reminded her of stories she heard about ancient Terran cultures. Spock seemed to enjoy himself, as much as Vulcans do, given their emotional suppression. Uhura wanted to know more about Vulcan culture, it was a very private and closed society. She was surprised Spock's father married a Terran. She imagined it made life difficult for Spock. She heard some of the rumors. Honestly, she probably needed better friends who didn't gossip as much. Gaila was nice, and a great person to party with, but she talked out of turn, as the saying used go. Nevertheless Uhura and Spock went on several more dates and dinners before they attempted anything physical. When Uhura tried to hold Spock's hand he became very rigid and that damn brow shot up. He explained about Vulcans having sensitive hands and the Communications Officer in her wanted to kick herself. Of course he would be sensitive because of the touch telepathy. She apologized but Spock told her it was illogical to apologize for something of which she was not aware. After a very pleasant dinner and ballet one evening Spock asked Uhura to hold out her hand. She complied, knowing it would have some purpose. Spock always had a purpose behind every action and request. He slid his index and middle finger across hers and for the first time Uhura really saw desire in his gaze. She shuddered at the simple touch. He explained it was a Vulcan kiss. She went on her toes and showed him a Terran kiss. She was surprised again when he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Their relationship progressed well from there. Until the fucking Kobyashi Maru and goddamned Jim Kirk. Well, that's not entirely fair. It's really Nero she should hate. And she did, not as much as Spock hated the Romulan but close enough. And then there was Khan, she almost wished she had let Spock kill him.

 

Then there was the destruction of Vulcan. She still had trouble contemplating that event. It scarred and changed Spock, more than she probably realized. Even more, it gave Jim Kirk a chance to shine. And even though she hates him sometimes she has to admit Kirk is one of the most charismatic creatures she has ever seen. He is a natural leader, but dangerously cocky. Still, he somehow managed to pull a rag tag group of cadets together and defeat a Romulan that nearly destroyed Starfleet and set the Klingon Empire back decades. She doubted anyone else could have done that, maybe not even Pike. Which may be why he made Jim first officer before handing himself over for torture.

 

Spock was wonderful in many ways, but Kirk was able to unite people. She hated him for his methods, even now she has difficulty thinking about that moment in the bridge between him and Spock. Maybe because he was able to elicit so much emotion from her boyfriend. And maybe she kissed Spock in front of him before they left to fight Nero on purpose. Maybe she did it to remind Kirk who Spock was to her and who he was not to Kirk. From the awkward look Kirk gave them she suspected he got the message. He played it off pretty well and Spock certainly played along well, probably because he didn't realize some of the subtext. He even called Uhura by her given name. That little spark of jealousy shouldn't imply she wasn't genuinely worried about him going to Nero's ship, Hell she was even worried about Kirk going there. But they had something in common now. Revenge for a lost parent, the destruction of part of their childhood. Whatever psychological reasoning they became a team, and when they returned it was clear something in their dynamic had fundamentally shifted.

 

It just got worse from there. Well, worse for her, better for them. Kirk and Spock were the dream team in Starfleet Command. They pushed and pushed the regulations. It really was just a matter of time before they completely broke them. Then there was Nibiru and rarely had she and Kirk been so thoroughly on the same page. She would have done the same thing had she been Captain. It was one reason she disliked The Chair. There was enough pressure in communications, but making the decisions as Captain, knowing people would or could die either way. She didn't want that responsibility.

 

Then there was Khan. She might hate him more than Nero. Because if Nero helped to create the bond between Kirk and Spock, Khan solidified it and exposed it to the universe. She had to watch the man she loved, no, the Vulcan she loved scream in rage over Kirk's death. Kirk had managed to get an even deeper emotional response than the destruction of his world and the death of his mother combined. If she needed further proof that her relationship was well and truly off the rails then she was unfortunately going to witness it. She supposed it made sense to send her. She was Spock's girlfriend, for whatever that was worth, thinking she might be able to reach him. Uhura watched a man who was a pacifist beat a genetically engineered super human almost to death with his bare hands. Over James fucking Tiberius Kirk. She almost let Spock do it, but she couldn't because she wanted Jim back. He was her Captain too. They became friends, of a sort over the past couple years. So she told Spock about Khan, and unsurprisingly he stopped. With relatively little effort. Just telling him that Khan was the key to Reviving Kirk seemed to soothe Spock.

 

She waited, with everyone to see if the serum worked. McCoy was a brilliant physician, despite the horrible analogies and shitty bedside manner. Even so, everyone was shocked, and relieved, when the serum worked. Though if anyone could bring someone back to life with a lunatic super human blood serum, it was the Enterprise's CMO. Spock barely left Kirk's side during the Captain's convalescence. Uhura visited and Kirk seemed genuinely pleased to see her. She had witnessed Kirk and Spock interacting before she came in once. Spock had been damn near smiling at something the Captain said. She wasn't stupid and she understood what was happening but she couldn't decide if she should try to fight for someone who clearly cared for another person so much more than her. Uhura stayed away for over a week and tried to come up with some option that didn't leave her feeling furious or sick. She loved Spock, romantically and as a friend, but she wasn't sure she could watch the Kirk/Spock love fest on a daily basis. By the same token, she wanted to be on the Enterprise. It was her home and she had earned a place there. So she made the hardest decision of her life. She wanted to hate Spock, it would make everything so much easier, but she didn't and couldn't hate him. So Uhura told him she wanted to end it with him. He seemed confused which was fucking priceless. She wanted to do so many things but she had to remind herself that Spock didn't see emotions and relationships the same way. Uhura hinted at his interest in Kirk and there some bullshit about taking care of him because it was his duty as first officer and people performing admirably. Kirk was right, sometimes she just wanted to tear off his bangs. Spock took everything in stride, which was expected, if disappointing for her. Probably on some level he understood he had feelings for their Captain.

 

Uhura arranged to have Bones pry Spock off Kirk for a couple hours the doctor looked like he understood. And maybe he did, better than anyone else. After all, it was Jim and Bones for years. Maybe he felt the sting of the bond between Kirk and Spock as well. Uhura had her meeting with Kirk and explained she and Spock weren't together. To his credit he looked surprised and upset, and a bit like he wanted to be happy. But for all his faults, Jim was a compassionate person and didn't seem to wish ill on anyone, especially his crew. So when he asked if there was anything he could do she jumped at the offer. She requested that he place her on a different shift from Spock. It would mean she would see less of her friends on Alpha shift, but it meant she could stay on the Enterprise but not have to see the command team together all the time. Jim looked upset but agreed to shift change for 6 months and then they could re-evaluate. Uhura imagined they both hoped she was ready to go back to Alpha shift at that time. Kirk was always willing to praise his officers and he told her, without any innuendo, that she was the best communications officer in the fleet and he hoped she would change her mind, but that he understood. And the thing was, she believed he did understand. If he cared about Spock for as long as she thought then it must have been awful seeing her and Spock together all the time. She remembered all the times he left early from events where she and Spock were together and she guessed that Kirk was a better person than her because she never realized it before that moment. Uhura saw a sad smile when he saw the dawning realization of what he felt. She felt a but disgusted with herself for every time she had rubbed her relationship in his face. Insecurity was an ugly thing, and it made people do ugly things. Kirk was trouble, maybe not exactly the kind she had imagined when she first met him. But she had been right about him. So she left the hospital with a promise to visit again and found herself a shitty bar. She really wished she could hate those two. She ordered a straight whiskey and barely looked at it before tossing the contents back. She signaled for another drink when she heard a familiar twang from the seat next to her.

 

"Fucking green blooded hobgoblins."

 

Uhura snorted. "Fucking pretty boy Captains."

 

He tipped his drink in salute as they sat quietly and drank.


End file.
